18th-century Bow Porcelain of Neptune on a Rococo Scroll Base

Bow porcelain Chinoiserie tankard, Bow, London, 1760-1765. The unusually painted polychrome Bow porcelain tankard depicts Chinoiserie figure...

18th-century Derby Porcelain of Jupiter, Circa 1775-80 The Derby porcelain figure depicts the mythical figure of Jupiter. Jupiter stands on a square base with his right arm extende...

Large Derby Porcelain Figure of Africa, From a series known as the "Four Quarters". Circa 1765 The large figure, emblematic of Africa, is depic...

18th-century bow porcelain Models of South American Parrots, Circa 1758-62 These beautiful Bow porcelain birds are naturalistically modelled, each perching on a flowering stump i...

Chinese Export Porcelain pair of maiden candlesticks, circa 1760-1775    A pair of large Chinese Export figures of standing maidens holding ...

The rare Chelsea or Chelsea Derby Porcelain plates are painted in the center with a floral bouquet panel surrounded by a mazarine-blue border and fine gilt highlights of dentil work...

This is a wonderful little figure of a boy or putto made by the Bow Porcelain factory in about 1760. The Bow Porcelain Factory was one of the first potteries in Britain to make soft...

An antique English porcelain figurine. By Bow. In the form of a boy clothed in 18th century garb and holding a flute. We've noted losse...

This is a fabulous pair of figures of Liberty and Matrimony made by the Bow Porcelain factory between 1760 and 1764. These figures were a popular pair portraying marriage. The bow...

This is a rare and beautiful figure of Venus with two doves, made by the bow porcelain factory between 1756 and 1764. We see Venus standing holding her robe with one hand, a flower p...

This is a very rare and impressive large figure of Juno with an eagle, made by the Bow Porcelain factory in about 1765. This figure formed part of a series of the Four Elements, with...

This is a wonderful pair of figures of Arlecchino and Columbina, made by the Bow Porcelain factory in about 1758. These figures formed part of a series of the Commedia dell'Arte, a very popular series of theatrical figures that served as decoration at the dinner table in the 18th Century. The Bow Porcelain Factory was one of the first potteries in Britain to make soft paste porcelain, and most probably the very first to use bone ash, which later got perfected by Josiah Spode to what is now the universally used "bone china". Bow was the main competitor of the Chelsea Porcelain Factory, but where Chelsea made very fine slipcast porcelain, Bow made a different soft paste porcelain that tended to be softer and could be pressed into moulds. Bow served a larger public generally at lower prices. The factory was only in operation between 1743 and 1774, after which the tradition got incorporated into some of the later famous potteries such as Worcester and Derby. These figures were used to adorn the dinner table when dessert was served; groups of figures served to express something about the host, the guests, or to direct the conversation. The Italian Commedia Dell'Arte, a comical form of masked theatre, was very popular in those days and Bow copied many figures of the German Meissen series that were brought out in the decades before. This pair dates from about 1758, which was at the height of Bow's ability to make beautiful figurines often copied from Chelsea or Meissen. The pair is modelled after a Meissen pair by Kaendler. The porcelain is translucent with a beautiful milky glaze - Bow was probably the first pottery using bone in its porcelain recipe. Arlecchino (Harlequin) is playing the bagpipes, dressed in an odd costume of mismatched chintz and playing cards and wearing a funny black trumpet...